Is it possible to get life insurance with upcoming operation ?

Skint_yet_Again

My life insurance runs out soon and I am currently seeing a hospital consultant and expecting to end up having an operation - is there any likelihood of getting life insurance before the operation. Or would insurers be likely to exclude the op ?


Am worried about mortgage if anything happens to me during op

Annisele

It depends what the operation is for.

An operation to remove a wisdom tooth is (generally speaking) entirely different to an operation to remove a brain tumour. One may cause the insurer no difficulty at all; the other may cause them to decline you out of hand.

It's worth seeing an adviser/broker for something like this - they'd be able to guide you to the insurer most likely to accept you. (Or tell you you won't get cover, or tell you you won't get cover until after the operation - but at least you'd know).

Weighty1

As Annisele says, it's dependent entirely upon the surgery involved and the insurer. Different surgeries have different "mortality risks". Generally, surgery involving general anaesthetic to the torso/head are seen as higher risk than those involving the limbs. Some providers won't offer cover at all until surgery is completed, some will offer cover with a temporary increase in premium for the 1st year of the plan and some "may" offer cover with the standard terms.

This really is a case for a broker to get involved in. My concern as a broker would be whether you were going to cancel the insurance as soon as the surgery has taken place since you only now seem to be considering it because of an impending operation. On this basis, you may be asked to sign some form of fee agreement which protects the broker from any lost commission if you decided to cancel the plan.

Skint_yet_Again

Weighty1 wrote: »

.... since you only now seem to be considering it because of an impending operation. .

Thanks for your replies. When I took out my mortgage I had level term life assurance / insurance (?) which expires May 2016. When I divorced I extended the term of my mortgage for affordability reasons. It was always my intention to take out further life insurance once my current policy ends as I have a son. I have been seen by a consultant for over a year and it is just bad timing that there is now consideration of an op which would be carried out after my current policy expires. The op would be to remove my thyroid but I also now have type 2 diabetes. I will contact a broker for advice as suggested

Weighty1

Skint_yet_Again wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. When I took out my mortgage I had level term life assurance / insurance (?) which expires May 2016. When I divorced I extended the term of my mortgage for affordability reasons. It was always my intention to take out further life insurance once my current policy ends as I have a son. I have been seen by a consultant for over a year and it is just bad timing that there is now consideration of an op which would be carried out after my current policy expires. The op would be to remove my thyroid but I also now have type 2 diabetes. I will contact a broker for advice as suggested

Ah that's fair enough, but a good lesson for others reading in that it is generally better to change your insurance when there is a change of circumstances meaning that existing cover no longer matches your needs.

It's worth you noting that the type 2 diabetes is likely to have a major impact on the premiums of any new plan you are offered. Depending on when you were diagnosed and the level of control you have (your HbA1c reading) it is not unusual for diabetes to cause an increase of 75%+ on premiums.